Saturday, March 18, 2023

There once was a boy...

And he was the most beautiful boy. He loved to be loved, and brought joy and light to any room he was in.

He was strong, and fast. He could zoom up his tower so quickly he had the nickname 'white lightning'. 

d'Artagnan on tower top


While he wasn't strictly a lap cat, if you had a blanket or a pillow on your lap, he'd pretend you were a sofa - gracing you with his purrs and having a little snooze.

He was a giant clown - if there was a goofy thing to be done, he would be there to do it. I swear he loved to make people laugh at his antics - and while he could occasionally do things that might be considered naughty, he was such a character that you couldn't ever be cross with him.

He was there every single morning to 'help' with my morning routine and keep me on time - and if I was veering off schedule he'd gently remind me it was time to turn on the tap for him to have water, or give him his beloved 'floor crunchies'. 

d'Artagnan and his unicorn


He'd bring us gifts in the night - his little soft toys that he'd carry from the living room to the bedroom. He had an order to what he brought - if we were really good, we'd get his little Marie toy or one of the kickaroos. Sometimes it would be at 1am or 2am that he'd bring them - but one of us (usually Rumbledad) would get up to see what he'd gifted. Whenever I thought about not getting up to look, I'd think there would come a day when I'd give anything to hear his proud little mew in the middle of the night.

And that's where we are now. I'd give anything to hear that precious and triumphant mew.

We lost our gentle boy yesterday. It was an absolute shock how quickly things happened. He went from being fine to having some indications of cancer to a full-blown large tumour in the space of a few weeks.

It's been a long time since I posted here, but we've had such comfort looking over his photos and stories today. 

There's a big d'Artagnan Rumblepurr-shaped hole in our lives that will never be filled. I hope that he's with Inigo now, and they both know how loved they were and still are... and will always be.